I am writing to express concern about the extradition proceedings
under way against John Graham in Vancouver. I believe it is very
unsound for the government of Canada to take a passive and unexamined
approach to this case, or any such case.

The current policy for extradition between the US and Canada --
where the two countries have agreed essentially on a handshake and
a brief procedural review of documentation for an extradition --
leaves very little open for the lawyers to question or to takeaction
upon. The lawyers for John have raised many important issues during
these hearings, but such informal extradition practices do not lend
themselves to protections Canadian citizens would get in other court
proceedings.

The problem with this "friendly" agreement between the
US and Canada, is that it assumes the US Government will always act
in good faith when prosecuting a case against a Canadian citizen.
However, history reveals many instances where the US Government has
engaged in wrongful and malicious prosecution against Native Americans,
especially those involved with the American Indian Movement during
the 1970s, a period during which I followed those prosecutions in
the press fairly closely.

For this reason, I believe it is unconstitutional that the Canadian
Government should represent only the United States in such a preceding,
rather than representing the Canadian citizen's rights who is being
sought. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canada's
sovereignty are in question when a foreign nation with such a history
of prosecutorial abuse can extract a citizen, while the Canadian
Government fails to defend the individual's rights and freedoms against
the foreign government's claim, should they be false and malicious
-- as is evident in the charge again John Graham.

My request is that the Government of Canada, and the Ministry of
Justice in particular, take very stringent care to make sure that
any extradition be based on hard evidence only; that claims by the
US government be subjected to the closest of scrutiny; that John
Graham be provided with sufficient funding to mount a complete defense;
and that the proceedings for extradition be open and accountable
to the public.